C18 Let's Go Together!

"Arrogant!" Chu Yuming, at the eighth level of the Body Refining Stage, unsheathed his treasured sword and faced Zhang Binn. "I'll take your head to avenge Senior Brother Yang!"

"Ding dong! Anger from Chu Yuming +40! Killing intent +40!"

"Enough talk! Attack him together!" Zhang Binn sneered at the gathering crowd.

"Scoundrel!" Jiang Feng and the others drew their swords as well.

"Ding dong! Anger from Jiang Feng +40, killing intent from Wang Tian +30, killing intent from Zhang Xinyu +45..."

Zhang Binn watched his experience points skyrocket and was momentarily stunned, but he had no intention of breaking through to the Qi Refining Stage just yet.

Sword qi swirled menacingly around him.

"Kid, do yourself a favor and end it. We'll at least leave your body intact," snarled Jiang Feng, at the ninth level of Body Refining.

"Go kill yourself! Profound Nether Nine Swords, Second Strike: Profound Nether Break!"

A colossal beam of sword light swept through the assailants like a massive column.

Not everyone could evade this high-grade common-rank strike.

"Ding dong! Congratulations, host, for slaying a seventh-rank Body Refining Stage warrior! Experience +30!"

"Ding dong! Congratulations, host, for slaying a sixth-rank Body Refining Stage warrior! Reward +25!"

...

"Killing really is the fastest way to gain experience!" Zhang Binn's experience meter surged, and he reveled in the thrill.

Yet, those who had survived the Profound Nether Break were clearly tougher opponents!

"How dare you kill your own sect brothers!" Jiang Feng was deeply shaken by the sword strike but became even more resolute in his decision to eliminate Zhang Binn.

"If you have the audacity to ambush me, be prepared to face death! I'll be sending you to join them soon enough!" Zhang Binn resolved to make sure none of his attackers left the scene.

"Ding dong! Anger from Jiang Feng +40."

"Fellow disciples! Let's band together and cut down this madman!"

In a flash, the air was filled with crisscrossing sword lights.

Zhang Binn, utilizing the Blue Butterfly Azure Cloud Step—a high-grade common-rank technique—navigated through the onslaught. But the barrage was relentless, and soon his body was marred with numerous wounds.

"Come on, brothers, push harder! Take this jerk down! Senior Brother Yang will surely reward us!"

"For Senior Brother Yang's vengeance!"

The crowd's onslaught intensified, ramping up the pressure on Zhang Binn.

"Time to master the third sword of the Profound Nether Nine Swords!"

"Ding dong! You've successfully mastered the third sword of the Profound Nether Nine Swords. 4000 experience points deducted!"

A surge of determination filled Zhang Binn, and with the Hidden Dragon Sword in hand, he swept back the attackers, "Profound Nether Nine Swords' third strike, Nether Thrust!"

Zhang Binn soared upwards, reversing the Hidden Dragon Sword and plunging it straight into the earth!

As the blade sank into the soil, waves of sword qi erupted from beneath, swiftly incapacitating and scattering the encircling foes, leaving them grievously wounded.

Jiang Feng's sword-wielding arm was impaled by the sword qi. Overwhelmed by fear, his desire to kill Zhang Binn vanished, replaced by sheer terror.

"Ding dong! Fear from Jiang Feng +50!"

"So, you wanted to kill me to curry favor with Yang Zongquan? Make your move!" Zhang Binn, clutching the Hidden Dragon Sword, advanced towards Jiang Feng, resolute in sparing no one, determined to eradicate all threats.

"No, no, no, I can't... I won't dare again!"

"We won't dare... We won't dare anymore..."

Zhang Binn's mercy had been obliterated by the relentless assaults. Those who crossed him were marked for death!

"Die, all of you! Nether Thrust!"

"Screams..."

The sound of accumulating experience echoed once more.

Having dispatched them all, Zhang Binn swiftly departed the sect. With Yang Zongquan's return and lacking any patronage, he was vulnerable to being killed. Plus, with enough experience to ascend to the Qi Refining Stage, he urgently needed to find a sanctuary to heal and enhance his cultivation.

As Zhang Binn was about to exit the sect and head to Myriad Peace City to solidify his cultivation, Yang Zongquan confronted him.

"Where do you think you're going?" Yang Zongquan, clad in the white garb of an Inner Sect disciple and wielding a dark green iron fan, narrowed his eyes at Zhang Binn, his murderous intent undisguised as he bore down on him.

"Ding dong! Killing intent from Yang Zongquan spikes by 70."

Zhang Binn's heart jolted. The gap between the Body Refining Stage and the Qi Refining Stage was indeed vast.

"Those fools failed to kill you, so it falls to me to avenge my brother!"

Yang Zongquan advanced another step, and in a flash, sand and stones were sent swirling. Zhang Binn was blasted back several paces by the force of the blast.

"Incredible! Is the power of the Qi Refining Stage really this formidable?"

Despite realizing he was outmatched, Zhang Binn refused to go down without a fight. "Profound Nether Nine Swords, First Strike: Profound Nether Slash!"

He lifted the Hidden Dragon Sword, cutting through the swirling Qi and aimed directly at Yang Zongquan.

"Child's play." With no more than a casual tap of his black iron fan, Yang Zongquan sent Zhang Binn tumbling backward, blood spewing from his mouth.

Picking himself up and wiping the blood from his lips, Zhang Binn's resolve only hardened. "Profound Nether Nine Swords, Second Strike: Profound Nether Break!"

A colossal sword light, like a towering pillar, swept toward Yang Zongquan.

With a disdainful "Hmph!" Yang Zongquan's fan emitted a massive air wave that clashed with the sword light.

In a blink, the sword light disintegrated, and Zhang Binn was forced to retreat yet again.

"If that's the extent of your skills, you might as well take your own life. I refuse to sully my hands!" Yang Zongquan opened his fan with a flourish, fanning himself nonchalantly, though his intent to kill remained chillingly clear.

"Cursed be! The Common Rank High Grade techniques can't manifest their true strength at the Body Refining Stage." Zhang Binn seethed inwardly. Given just a few more days to break through to the Qi Refining Stage, he was confident he could trounce Yang Zongquan with ease.

Yang Zongquan, sneering, moved closer to the incapacitated Zhang Binn, ready to personally snuff out his life.

"Stop!" At that moment, Ye Qianqian burst onto the scene, positioning herself between Zhang Binn and his assailant.

Yang Zongquan's brow creased in annoyance, yet he still offered a polite bow to Ye Qianqian. "I pay my respects, Second Miss," he said, his voice dripping with formal courtesy, but his steps toward Zhang Binn did not falter.

Ye Qianqian couldn't fathom Yang Zongquan's audacity. "Halt! You cannot kill Zhang Binn."

"Why shouldn't I avenge my brother's death?" Yang Zongquan retorted, seething with rage, his Profound Azure Iron Fan creaking under the grip of his clenched fist.

"Senior Sister, leave me be! I'll stop at nothing to end this scoundrel!" Zhang Binn insisted, not wanting to drag Ye Qianqian into the fray. With great effort, he rose to his feet, leaning on the Hidden Dragon Sword for support.

"Don't overexert yourself!" Ye Qianqian implored, turning back to address Zhang Binn with a soft voice. She then spun around to confront Yang Zongquan, "Zhang Binn has saved my life!"

With a forceful snap of his fan, Yang Zongquan declared, "It doesn't matter who he saved; he took my brother's life! No one can change that..."

"You..." Ye Qianqian's anger was ablaze.

"This isn't the Inner Sect, Second Lady," Yang Zongquan sneered, undeterred by Ye Qianqian's high standing within the sect. As an elder disciple of the Nether Connecting Stage, he stood his ground, "And that despicable Wang Shifei—if not for her, my brother would still be alive!"

"Silence!" Overcome with emotion, Zhang Binn, who had regained some strength, lifted the Hidden Dragon Sword and lunged at Yang Zongquan, executing the third technique of the Profound Nether Nine Swords, "Profound Nether Thrust!"

"Bring it on!" Yang Zongquan countered, ready for the clash.

"Zhang Binn, no!" Ye Qianqian cried out in horror.

The Profound Nether Sword Qi that erupted from the ground was snuffed out by a flick of Yang Zongquan's fan, and Zhang Binn was struck down from midair, a heavy stomp to his chest sending blood spraying like a fountain.

"Your life is forfeit!" Yang Zongquan roared, his fan slicing through the air towards Zhang Binn's neck.

"Please, no!" Ye Qianqian's voice was raw with desperation, powerless to save Zhang Binn from her distant vantage.

"Cease!" A commanding shout echoed, the sheer force in the voice sending Yang Zongquan stumbling back several meters.

An elderly Taoist, exuding an air of sage-like wisdom, arrived just in time.

Ye Qianqian and Yang Zongquan instantly recognized the old man and promptly performed a respectful bow.

"Elder Xianyun!"

At this moment, Zhang Binn had already lost consciousness. Had he been awake, he would have been astounded to see the elder; this was the very same man who had attempted to swindle him out of his crystals at the Qingyun Pavilion in Myriad Peace City!